Anna Semchenko’s story is one of transformation—not just for herself, but for the patients she now serves across New York City. Raised in Ekibastuz, Kazakhstan, Anna’s early career spanned law, banking, and engineering before a personal decision to permanently move to the United States in 2015 changed her trajectory. Today, she is a licensed Registered Nurse and Certified Foot Care Nurse (CFCN), and the founder of two growing healthcare ventures: BYSEM Medical PC and SOLE BY SEM LLC.
“I didn’t come from a healthcare background,” she says. “But I knew I wanted to make an impact where others weren’t looking—on the ground, with patients, in their homes.”
Anna launched BYSEM Medical in Brooklyn to provide in-home and clinic-based preventive foot care for elderly and diabetic populations. The practice delivers services often overlooked by
mainstream healthcare: diabetic foot screenings, medical pedicures, callus debridement, orthotic fittings, and treatment for fungal conditions. What sets her apart is her fully mobile care model, which allows patients with limited mobility to receive professional care without leaving home.
Her most notable community initiative, the Sunday Foot Care Project, offers pro bono services to elderly patients living in isolation or financial hardship. “Some of my patients haven’t had their feet touched in years,” she says. “We’re not just managing risk—we’re restoring dignity.”
Anna’s nursing practice is evidence-driven and holistic. In 2023, she created a nationally recognized training course in the Dry Pedicure Method, which merges Eastern European clinical pedicure techniques with American foot care standards. The course is now offered online and has trained over 300 healthcare and nail professionals in aseptic technique, dermatological safety, and early signs of neuropathy and vascular compromise. She also offers hands-on mentorship and supervision to new practitioners through shadowing opportunities and case-based virtual consultations.
In parallel, she launched SOLE BY SEM, a therapeutic foot care product line that uses natural ingredients—urea, tea tree oil, neem, and calendula—to address common conditions like calluses, fungal infections, and cracked heels. The brand is now available on Etsy, TikTok Shop, and her company’s website, with a growing customer base of nurses, podiatrists, and health-conscious consumers.
She credits her success not just to hard work, but to the ability to see patterns others miss. “There’s a connection between physical neglect and emotional neglect,” she notes. “If someone has ignored their feet for a decade, it usually means they’ve been ignored in other ways too.”
Her combined ventures generated over $100,000 in 2024 alone, powered by both private-pay patients and digital product sales. She has been able to self-finance her business growth and now employs part-time staff to support logistics and scheduling. “It’s about access and impact,” Anna explains. “I’m building systems that reach people where they are—clinically, emotionally, and culturally.”
Anna’s work has earned attention from the healthcare community. She is a member of the American Foot Care Nurses Association (AFCNA), the American Nurses Association (ANA), and currently serves as a brand ambassador for the Healthy Feet Alliance. She was recently featured
in Brainz Magazine as an Executive Contributor, where she wrote about the systemic importance of foot care in public health. Her articles have been cited in professional forums and shared by
health influencers across social platforms.
What began as a career pivot has become a public health mission. Anna is now developing a plan to expand BYSEM Medical into a multi-state mobile care network, potentially integrating with home health agencies and chronic care providers. She is also exploring telehealth foot consultations as a way to triage conditions remotely and reach rural populations.
Meanwhile, SOLE BY SEM is preparing to partner with national retailers and podiatry clinics to increase product availability and public awareness. She has received inquiries from international distributors in Canada and Europe, and hopes to expand overseas within the next two years.
Her story resonates far beyond nursing. As an immigrant entrepreneur, educator, and frontline clinician, Anna is redefining what healthcare leadership looks like. She believes that small interventions—like a proper foot screening—can yield outsized results.
“Preventive foot care might not be glamorous,” she says. “But it’s powerful. It saves limbs. It saves lives. And it gives people back their lives’.
